1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a video display controller adapted to be connected to a video display unit such as a video monitor for displaying color display patterns on a screen of the video display unit.
2. Prior Art
In recent years, video display controllers which are able to display both of still and animation pattern images on screens of video display units have been extensively used in graphic video display apparatuses such as video game machines. When displaying a still pattern image, such a video display controller operates in a character mode besides other display modes to display character patterns smaller in size than those used in the other display modes. Each of the character patterns used in the character mode is composed of, for example, 8.times.6 pixels in the case where each of display patterns used in the other modes is composed of 8.times.8 pixels. And therefore, character patterns greater in number than the patterns displayed in the other modes can be displayed on a screen in the character mode, whereby more information can be given through the screen. However, the conventional video display controller is so constructed that only a pair of selected colors are used for the display of the patterns on the screen in the character mode. In this case, foreground or information portion of each of the character patterns is displayed in one of the selected colors, while background of each of the character patterns is displayed in the other of the selected colors. Thus, the conventional video display controller is disadvantageous in that the patterns displayed on the screen in the character mode are somewhat monotonous.